I Support #MeToo Movement

I SUPPORT #METOO MOVEMENT

Ever since #MeToo and #MeTooIndia started trending on twitter and then on all media platforms, I found myself in complete support of the movement. I was happy that for once the debate that men are falsely targeted would resonate and the higher echelons of society, the celebrities, the media, the pseudo feminists would be divided and some sanity would prevail in our society. A friend asked me what if a celebrity commits suicide? Would you still favour this movement. I said – ‘Yes, when these celebrities did not shed a tear for other 93000 suicide of men, why would I care about a certain celebrity.’

#MeToo movement started in west and like most of the things we aped it. I guess it was simmering somewhere when a certain long forgotten bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta accused a reasonably well known bollywood actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment and lo there was a breach in the dam and like flood gates were open, accusations started flowing thick and hard against bollywood celebrities, media personalities, writers, thinkers. All in all, one thing was sure that if you are a common man, not worth any news value, your name won’t figure in the list. One after the another people were added to the list of victims and accusations piled up against big and mighty. Most remained in stoic silence, but some resorted to filing defamation suits.

Ministry of Women and Child Development opened a helpline, Delhi Commission of Women had an email ID. Police said, we shall help any victim who comes with a complaint. But all in all everyone forgot what the basic postulates of law are.

I want to ask these MCD, DCW and Police Chiefs. The allegations are levelled by victims and it is in public domain. They are all cognizable offences and some of them are facing heinous crimes like Rape and Attempt to Rape. What are you waiting for? Why do you need a formal complaint from the victim. The information has to be the basis of the First Information Report and not the statement of the complainant. If the information is found false, you can always file a closure report. But not registering a crime? Is not it a crime of its own? It is sad that higher judiciary in India which in the past has taken suo moto action against many ills is silent on the matter, are there skeletons in their cupboards too?

Another aspect that I am happy about is that there are pseudo feminists which are caught in the bind. Would they now scream from the rooftops – ‘Hang him, hang him, he is accused of Rape’? People like Suhel Seth and Nandita Das who claimed all men are perverts or potential rapists. They had to issue statements asking for fair probe and denial statements. That just showed them in bad light like – ‘It is important to be sure about allegations’. No I am not naive that these statements would hold good once the storm is over, but I am sure that these pseudo feminists won’t dare issue blanket statements like media trial should be done for all accusitions. I am sure atleast some of them would have to bite their tongue before proclaiming media trials.

Further media has been vociferous when discussing any case of sexual harassment against all celebrities but I am yet to see any discussion on any of these TV channels or newspapers which discusses allegations against people who worked and shaped their own channels or newspapers etc. The true colors of these feminist media are out. It seems a brother code that none of these are discussing the names which has shot in defamy but belongs to rival channel. As I am writing this piece I see #BadDua trending on Twitter against Vinod Dua, he is the same person who advocated stern action against Nana Patekar when allegations was levelled against him. What he does in his own case is to be seen. In fact most of these media houses does not adhere to the law of the land and there are no adherence to Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act in some of these media houses. Is not it time that their licences be revoked as that is the punishment in the act for errant companies.

India’s Prime Minister was patronizing enough when he said in his Independence day speech that parents should control their sons. I want to ask the same Prime Minister what about controlling one of your ministers who is charged with the same nefarious allegations. It would have done your image a lot more good if he was axed by you yourself than he resigning. The day does not look far when you would have another task cut out for you to handle. There are right now just two to five thousand people who are named in this #MeToo tirade. If this movement grows the day is not far when you may have to handle lakhs of such complaints against all levels of men, the same would depend upon how you and your government tackles this growing menace

Yet another aspect which I have found amusing is that I have often said, Feminist lack real heroines, and that is why they bank so much upon anyone who hankers and raises a voice. And not to take away credits from any of the worthy victims, the men they are attacking are multiple times more powerful, more famous and more often richer than them. So, does all these so called victims want to tell us that while they were growing in their career, they never came across a lech who did not make it to the top, who is not celebrity enough, who is dead or has made bad decisions in life so as not to progress in their profession, or had once tasted success but no longer successful? Is the sexual harassment or predatory nature the preserve of high and mighty?

This drive of #MeToo is sure to affect some people. With many bodies calling off the business associations with certain individuals (they have taken action selectively as they may become defunct and handicapped if they take similar action on all accused). I am looking forward to a new crop of accused that have lost their vocations and earnings. Not so much different than we middle class accused, who many a times loose their jobs and earnings. How these celebrities would cope with it. Or would there be a movement and corporations started by these people which would bar any lady who has levelled baseless accusations against anyone in the past. If that happens, it would be the pristine victory of men’s rights and go a long way in establishing a quid pro quo to these women. At least one political party has objected if a certain TV program tries to cash on publicity generated by Tanushree Dutta. That is a positive step in the direction of establishment of commission for men.

In nutshell I would say, undoubtedly there should be a zero tolerance to sexual harassment at all levels, at the same time undue harassment, name shaming and media trials should also stop. American newspapers have shown that such hoop halla has actually diminished public sympathy against the victims. The tirade should not continue to escalate to the point when it looses relevance and tomorrow another Nirbhaya happens and people come on street in defence of the accused. Is the grand welcome a Rape accused Bishop got at Jallandhar a harbinger of things to come?

3 Comments

@Rahul Gaya. I agree that we must not take fun in allegation against affluent. But this time most of those who had blindly supported ciminal women and false accusations have been trapped and that’s what was important in order for them to know how vulnerable men are and that they did a mistake by public shaming of men just on mere allegations. Remember Varun Grover? Looked how initially he bashed those the names of whom were mentioned in MeeToo and later when he was accused, how the tone changed. Nandita Das did the same.

We must not enjoy allegations against other men just because they are affluent people. Men must unite from all segments of society. I have blasted all accusers in #Metoo on Twitter. This opportunity is for us to seek support from all celebrities. Tomorrow when we fight PIL or demand laws against women, these celebrities will be useful. Their voice is better than ours.
Condemn all accusers publicly and come out in open against epidemic of #Metoo.
Support #Metoo4Publicity

It’s True, Ultimately courts can her the voice of celebrities and not common man.
Because the voice of celebrities have great impact on society.
If there is a quarrel or murder between neighbors nobody will care after one week, in case of celebrities, it will telecast in series for many days in Media.